Four-slot fire-extinguishing coupling



sept. 1, 1925. l

H. A. PGRTER FOUR-SLOT FIRE EXTINGUISHING COUPLING A Filed April 16, 1925 Ags. y

Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED vsTAcrrfLs HENRY ALFRED PORTER, or LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

FOUR- SLOT FIRE-EXTINGUIVSHING coUrLING.

Application filed April 16, 1925. Serial No. 23,638.

` To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HENRY A. PORTER, a

Ysubject of the King of Great Britain, and

resident of Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and' State vof California, have invented certain new and useful Improve-v ments in Four-Slot Fire-Extinguishing Couplings, of which'thefollowing is a specication. Y i v I My present invention relates to a snulfer or fire extingishing coupling for use in connection with oil or gas wells yand the like, or for pipes for conducting any flowing combusvtible body which may be intercepted by a stream of non-'combustible material, or which may have a non-combustible material admixed therewith in such proportions tha the resulting mixture will not burn.

` The principal object of my invention is the introduction of a non-combustible fluid, such as steam or water, or any other suitable fluid, in a plurality o f streams of suflicient lvelocity tor completely intercept the flow, or in case this is impossible,to introduce a non-combustible material ,intol the y combustible vstream in suflicient quantity to render f the latter non-combustible in vits nature. 'y y' j y l Another important object of theinvention is the provision of means whereby back pressurewvill not be allowed to communicate itself into the steam or non-combustible fluid rmains and yet which will allow ready passage of this non-combustible material in the direction desired, or tothe coupling.

Still another Objectis the provision of certain drainage outlets in the fixture whereby the sediment naturally mixed with the oil or gas and flowing from the well may be flushed from the coupling so that the non-combus-` tible fluid inlets will not vbecome clogged.

To this end my invention includes a coupling adapted to receive at the top and bot tom thereof an oil well casing section, being preferably screwed thereinto, although the invention is not limited to this means of attachment.

The casing sections above and below the coupling are preferably vin alignment with each other and form a continuation of an axial passage way through the coupling itself.

The coupling proper consists of an outer jacket and an inner annular wall, the said wall constituting the axial passageway and being spaced from the jacket so that an annular chamber exists between the acket and the vinner wall.

An inlet for non-combustible fluid is providedhaving means in said 'inlet for pre-v venting back pressure fromY reaching the non-combustible fluid mains, said inlet communicating with the annular passageY in the coupling. The inner annular wall is provided with two pairs of slots therein, the

opening of each slot in each pair being subv stantially one-quarter of the vcircumference of the inner wall, the slots constituting each pair being diametrically lopposed to each other,the ytwo pairs being at ninety degrees to each other.

A drainage outlet is provided at the lowermost point of theannular chamber and below the level of the lowermostslot in the inner wall, for the purpose above defined.^

lso

I have illustrated in the accompanying l drawing, one form ofthe invention,- although obviouslyI do not wish to be limited thereto, as this illustration is shown to merely indicate the principle involved.

In the drawings f .y

-Figure l is a sectionaly elevation ofone form of the invention. l n

. Fig. 2 is a sectional planview along the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. y I A 4Referring with particularity to the, form illustrated, I have shown the coupling at l provided with Vscrew'threaded openings' 3 at the top and bottom thereof, adapted to receive the threaded ends of the casing sections 2 and 4 An inner annular wall 5 is provided which is separated from the jacket 6 of the coupling so that an annular chamber 7 is provided therein.

The jacket 6 is provided with a flangedV extension in which i-s secured a flap'valve 8 by means of a cap 9 secured to the flange as by bolts 10. 'An aperture in the cap 9, as

indicated at 11, allows communication from l of this invention, I have merely illustrated the same diagrammatically.

The inner annular wall 5 is provided with two pairs of slots as indicated at a and a2, and b and b2. It will be noted that each ofv thev slots consists of. .a slot through the wall 5, the .opening being' of enc-qmarter of the circumferencek of said wall. It is to be noted that slots a and a2 are diametrically opposed toa YVeach other, and likewise slots Zi and Z22, while at the same time the slots a', a2 and b, 52 lare arranged ninety degrees from each other, .In this way the non-combustible fluid entering through the inlet, passes through the chamber 7 and is shot into the axial passageway of the coupling through the slots a, ,6&2 andy h., 52', which form impinging streams at right angles t'o each other. Such a constructionv allows any desired quantity of non-combustible fluid to be mixed with, or introduced into the flowing combustible stream so that a lire existing at the mouth ofv the well may be extinguished.

A drainage outletV indicated at 13', normally closed by a plug not shown, is located 'at' a point on the coupling llower than the lowest slot in the inner wal'l. This is for the purpose of allowing any rotary 'mud or other sediment contained in the flowing oil or gas, which finds its way. through the 'slots la', a2' and b, h2, to bel expelled from the coupling' 'by cracking` the valve on the non-combustible fluid' main.

` It is essential that the slots ai', of and b', b2 be l'rept clear at all. times in order that when the valve controlling the non-combustible iluid is .open said fluid shalli have im'- mediate access to the interior of the passage'- way` through which .the combustible material is flowing. At the same time, it isalso essential that theI back pressure valve be Y provided so that in case the pressure of' the combustible fluid is in excess of that of' .the non-combustible fluid, the former Vwill not find its. way into the main holding the latter so as to produce disastrous results.

It will be obvious from an inspection of i the structure disclosed herein that each pail` of slots does .a work which is' not accomplished by the other. In other words, the slots va', andK @f2 introduce the monconiibustible fluid into a portion of the well casing not covered b y the fluid introduced through the' slots i5 'and @21' While I have specified in the claims that 'each vslot is approximately one-fourth of the circumference of the inner wall, obviously the extent of these lslots may be varied somewhat above and below thatdimensiion;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A fire .extinguishing coupling. comprising an outer j acket,y an inner annular' wallspaced from said ,jacket to form a ci1ainbe'rll, means for-conducting' a non-combustible fluid to `said` cham-ber', a' back pressure valve contained' in said non-combustible fluid 'introducing means, two pairs of4 transversely eze tending' slots through saidf inner" wall,I the two slotsl of each pair' being -diametrically opposed to each other, each pail-noi slots being at ninety degrees' to the other pair, one pair being above the other, each' slot being' approximately',one-fourth of the cir'- .cumference of said inner iiv'all,`

'21 A fire extinguishing coi'ipli'ngcomprisjing an outer' jacket, an inner annular'wall spaced from ysaid jaclret'lto form a chamber, means for conducting a non-combustible iluid to said chamber', a back pressure valve contained in said' non-combustible fluid" introducing means,v two' pairs of transversely7 extending. slots through saidfinn'er wall, [a

drainage opening, in said jacket' below the lowermost slot, the two 'slots' of .each pair being diametrically opposed to each other, each pair of slots being at ninety degrees' to the other pair, one pair'v being. ,above the other, each slot being" approximately onefourth of the circumference ofsaid inner wall. Y

In testimony whereof, I aiX my'. signature.

HENRY ALFRED PGRTER. 

